SAN FRANCISCO, California - The lighthouse on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, California. Known for its notorious inmates and rumored inescapability, Alcatraz now serves as a significant tourist attraction and National Park Service site, providing insight into the prison system and historic events of the 20th century.
Alcatraz Island, commonly known as Alcatraz or The Rock, is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California, United States. It is best known for the federal prison that operated there from 1934 to 1963, housing some of America's most infamous criminals, including Al Capone and Robert "Birdman" Stroud. Before its time as a federal prison, Alcatraz served as a military prison and a lighthouse. The island's strategic location made it an ideal place for both defense and detention. The lighthouse, the oldest operating lighthouse on the west coast, remains a notable feature of the island. Alcatraz is most infamous for the supposed inescapability of its prison. Despite many attempts, no prisoner is officially recorded as having successfully escaped, although the fate of Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers, who escaped in 1962, remains unknown. Today, Alcatraz is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and managed by the National Park Service. It is open to the public for tours, attracting millions of visitors each year who explore the historic cell blocks, officer's quarters, and lush gardens. Alcatraz was also the site of a significant protest in 1969, when a group of Native Americans occupied the island to highlight indigenous rights issues. This marked a critical moment in the Native American rights movement.
Size: 6706px × 4476px
Location: Alcatraz, San Francisco, California, United States
Photo credit: © David Coleman | Have Camera Will Travel / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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